Hope For A Better World
by VicKami
Summary: Harry and his wife, Addie are tired of living in their world after the war. They travel to an alternate world in which James, Lily, Remus, Sirius and Aydan are alive and healthy but saddened by the 18th anniversary of their children's death
1. Love's Nightmare

_Hey everyone, _

_This is a rewrite of Seeing the Future. That story was absolutely horrible and deserved its rightful place in my recycling bin. I'm sorry to all readers who read that story and find it no longer here. Instead here is: Hope for a Better World in which Harry and his love (also Sirius' daughter), Addie are tired of living in their world after the war. They travel to an alternate dimension in which James, Lily, Sirius, Aydan (Sirius' wife), and Remus are all alive and healthy but saddened by the 18__th__ anniversary of their children's death. Sorry its taken so long to update. School is crazy. Thanks for at least opening this story and reading this much! I hope you enjoy it. Thank you so much to all the people who reviewed and stayed with Seeing the Future. Special thanks to all those who reviewed my final chapter and even read the authors note. I hope I haven't let you down too much. _

_-VicKami_

He stood in the hospital room at the end of an unoccupied bed, the white walls pressing in on him. His heart hammered against his chest and sounded in his head. He could feel the slamming beat throughout his body. Everything was silent, nothing touched him, he felt nothing, no emotion; his head became so clouded, his vision black with swirling dots, he felt hallow and his breath came too easily. Footsteps that he did not recognize as his own echoed off the sterilized flooring. His chest constricted and his breathing hitched in his throat when he was able to identify the sleeping figure in another bed, her body so frail and thin it resembled a Holocaust victim.

It was Adeline.

Her skin so pale it was gray, her hair so terribly burned it was coarse as wire. Her figure so broken and weak that her every joint was exposed under skin stretched too tight. It was his love.

His stomach turned over with guilt at what he had allowed to happen. His work worn finger brushed her boney hand. Nausea settled deep in the pit of his stomach as he did his best not to recoil from the iciness of her touch. He had allowed her to become like this, he should have protected her like she protected him. It was entirely his fault. A drop of blood broke through her hair running down her hallow cheek, snaking behind her ear, lowering itself just enough to drop down and stain the prefect white pillow beneath her.

He swore to save her, to always be with her, to love her and protect her…always. He failed her. Her lips, parched, cracked, and dried with blood, drew in a rattled, short breath stopped by pain that shot across her face. All his fault. It should be him lying, dying, on that bed, not her. What had he done? All his fault. A light weight rested on his shoulder.

"Harry, you can't think like that." the voice broke through his silence. _Hm, funny_, he absently thought. He didn't remember speaking aloud. "It wasn't your fault."

"But it was…" his throat tight with tears and shame.

"Harry…" He turned, already knowing who spoke, to face her. She was a young woman, slightly younger than he, with glossy red hair. As he looked upon her, her eyes blurred behind her tears. "There was nothing you could have done."

'You don't understand, Ginny." He leaned forward placing his hand on the side of Addie's clammy face. "It was my fault."

"What could you have done?" Her voice was strained.

"Anything." Careful not to damage her anymore than she already was, he watched his hand slowly navigate its way beneath her arm. A chill of horror and pain shot down his spine; he pushed it away and grasped her hand. He felt her bones move beneath his skin. A prickling at the corners of his eyes drew his mouth together in a shaky line; his eyes welled with salty tears that stained his face. He made no effort to push them away. Unconsciously, he lowered himself to a chair, lightly dragging Adeline's hand with him. What dignity had he left to rid himself of? He had already killed his love. Her passing would be his fault.

"Harry. It was a war. People got hurt and it wasn't your fault but its over now. The war is over."

Without deciding to do so, he opened his mouth and the words poured out.

"Did you know how exactly we met…Adeline and I?"

"No." Ginny said softly. She hadn't expected him to talk but he didn't seem to notice her answer. He was in his own world, his memories.

"We were at school, 3rd grade." He spoke slowly, gently caressing Adeline's hand with his thumb. "I was being chased again, by my cousin. I had a hiding place I used to go to. It was the roof of the school. On that day though, there was already someone else on the roof….it was her. She looked so beautiful on that rooftop. I had never seen true beauty until that moment. She was sitting on the edge, just like I did, leaning back on her hands, and swinging her feet." The words came out slowly, as he paused after each sentence. His eyes welled up again but he kept speaking trying to get past the lump in his throat. He bowed his head in shame.

"All I could do was stare. I must have made a noise because she turned around and stared back. She stood up and apologized…" he laughed a shaky sad laugh, " ….like she had done something wrong. I told her that she was fine…and then….then she smiled." He raised his head and smiled through the tears at his love.

"We sat on that roof all day. Half the time we said nothing but that was alright, it was enough….We talked about our families, our lives. She had it worse than me….and to think, I thought my life was bad." He chuckled and hung his head again. Ginny moved closer to comfort him but he kept going.

"That's when we made our promise; the promise to always protect each other, to always be there, no matter what and I've failed." The lump in his throat choked out all his words. Tears fell straight to the ground leaving behind their watery path. He hardly noticed the tears straining Ginny's face. Harry paused, allowing himself a moment to vanish into his tears and his pain.

"She was good about keeping it. She always did everything for me. She was always doing something to get in trouble though. I never knew a day when she wasn't grounded, like anyone could ever ground her and keep her there." He let out a sad laugh again, "She would sneak out of her room, walk all across town just to see me. Some how she always knew when I was punished or when I wasn't allowed dinner. I stayed up all night waiting for those knocks at my window…..She's a great cook too. She would steal food from her foster parents' cabinet. We would eat in the park, on the swings. The night was my favorite part of the day and just the hope of seeing her every night got me through. I spent every moment just waiting for the dusk to kill the day….." He paused and took a steady breath looking out the stained window. The sun was high in the afternoon, the light pooling on the cold floors.

"She liked to press her luck too. When I had a lot of work to do, she would appear beside me and help. No one ever knew she was there. She even stood up to Dudley one day when he demanded that I make him an ice cream." This time a real smile broke Harry's face.

"He was so terrified that he forgot to tell my aunt that Addie was even there. She defended me when the other kids laughed….and when they made fun of her, they got a face full of her fist." He sobered up and took a moment to gaze at Addie, remembering her in her glory.

"Even when we came here, she was still the same. Do you remember when we were in the Chamber…about to leave and we couldn't take her with us? She was so badly hurt…and no one could carry her." He distantly looked at Ginny without expecting an answer. He knew that she remembered. "We left her, remember? We left her behind to defend herself…"

"Harry, she told us to go on." Ginny gently reminded him.

"I know." He replied downcast. His head was hung again. "She was protecting us again and I let her. I just left her there and it nearly killed her. When she was lying in the hospital room she assured me that she was only fulfilling her promise." He sighed. Adeline trusted him too much, she loved him too much, she sacrificed too much and it wasn't fair. She was too good to be dying like this. His heart throbbed under the pain of his thoughts. _Its my fault, all my fault, _he thought again and again.

"Harry…?" Ginny asked tentatively.

"During the final war, when we were in that passage way, you remember?" He asked Ginny again. He knew she remembered this as well, how could she not after her brother had died that time.

She nodded; her tears were renewed as they slid down her cheeks.

"When that Death Eater cornered us and blew up the passage, a pillar was falling…she took it head on. She let it crush her…so that it wouldn't hit me." Tears blurred his eyes again but this time he fought them.

Harry began to laugh, a sad and slow laugh. "I sound so pathetic when I think about how many times she's saved me. She's stronger than I could ever imagine. I envy her for that. I've never once saved her."

"I've known her all my life and never once have I been able to protect her, to show her the love she has shown me. I could have saved her this time though. I was right there when she was fighting. She was in so much pain from that pillar yet she kept fighting. She didn't know I was there, no one did, but I stood by and let her loose the battle." The touch of Adeline's broken hand destroyed him. He pulled back and looked at her face; her sullen, empty, lifeless face.

"I could have saved you……. I could have protected you……I……I could have loved you." The tears burned his face as they fell one after the other. He focused his attention on their soft splattering. His hand shielded his anguished face; his eyes were concealed tightly, tears pouring and sobs ripping from his chest. Arms resting on his knees, he rocked his body back and forth.

"I failed."

He no longer cared about his life or his dignity. He lost himself in his pain, his anguish, her love. He opened his heart to all emotion. Anger at himself, shame of himself, love for her, sadness over her, happy because he knew her, depressed because she was dying. He was so lost within himself that he almost missed the words that changed his whole understanding of love.

"You…always….protected…my…..heart."

Harry stopped breathing. His neck snapped out of his hands where they remained suspended in air as if still holding his head. His mouth was open in shock as he started into the bright eyes of his love, Adeline.

"Addie…" he whispered to her. He leaned forward in his chair, getting as close to her as possible. Casting all past horror and shame away, he grasped her hand and stroked her hair. His warm hand pressed against her face; he didn't notice the fragility of her skin or the sickly color it reflected. His eyes watered over with joy and love. His heart reached out and expanded. She was alive.

He smiled and closed his tired eyes in relief. As he opened them to look upon his love once again, she had changed.

Her eyes were open. Shining bright blue, she gazed up at him and her simple gaze filled him with all the love and compassion in the world. Her fingers curled around his and he felt none of her bones, just the smooth skin he remembered in her touch. She smiled, her lips pulling back and stretching into a perfect curve. They were soft and pink, just the way he remembered her; her teeth peeked through, white as pearls, straight as rulers. Her cheek flushed under his touch, her skin healthy and a beautiful pale that had not been seen in a woman since the renaissance. Her hair was full and thick, black and sleek. It hung all around her, illuminating her angelic face. Full eyelashes batted away to reveal her startling blue eyes, two beautiful pools of blue passion bore deep into his soul. This was his love, this angel lying before him.

She placed her delicate hand on his face and outlined his nose with her perfectly rounded nail. Her skin had filled out; her muscle apparent on her arms and legs. Just the way he remembered. Her arms, strong and firm in her hold, wrapped around his neck, her legs, long and graceful, stood on the cold floor. She supported all her weight. Her breath smelled of sweet peppermint as she breathed words in his face. Her lips pressed against his cheek and he was lost.

"You have never failed, Harry." Her words were slow, shaky, and laced with pain. He shook his head knowing that her words were false.

"You've always protected my heart." As she spoke, her voice strengthened.

"Since I've meet you, I have never known pain and I don't suspect that I ever will. You have saved me when I thought I would be lost. You've brought me back from my darkness. You've saved me more times than I can count."

Tears slipped from his eyes. He embraced her with loving arms and then she vanished. Her arms fell from his neck, her legs gave out, and her heavenly face fell from his sight. He stood in the hospital room, his arms embracing nothing but the air. She was gone. He should have held on.

* * * * *

"Harry…wake up. Harry!" his cheek stung from her slap. He sat up abruptly feeling the soft blankets and pillows around him. His breathing was heavy and labored; a thin sweet covered his body.

"Harry, are you alright? Did you have another vision? What happened?" He swung his head around and starred at the woman he loved. Her black hair hung at just the right length, thick and sleek. Her eyes, heavy with sleep and concern, were still the loving blue. Her skin as pale and smooth as ever. The words she said to him at their wedding still echoed in his ears.

He felt the tears in his eyes as he blinked and he knew that she saw them.

"Adeline, I can't do this anymore."

_So that was the rewrite Chapter 1. Thanks for reading this much and I hope you all enjoyed it! In case anyone is confused, Harry was having a dream. Please review and tell me if you hated it. Sorry for any mistakes. My proofreading skills are less than non-existent. _


	2. Lost Without

_Hey guys, _

_Thanks to everyone for reading this! If anyone has any ideas, please send them! Sorry if I missed anyone. _

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_Sorry if I missed anyone! Send me a message and I'll add your name to the next chapter._

_Here is Chapter 2 of Hope for a Better World—Lost Without. _

Adeline stood in the kitchen sipping coffee and starting out the window into their backyard. It was a beautiful spring day; the sun hung low in the sky, the grass was green, and the trees were blooming. Everything was seemingly perfect. However, for every light there is darkness, for every joy--sorrow and for every perfection—a flaw. Her life had once been joyful; full of family and love but now it was nothing more than a web of lies and false fronts. A bird happily flew by her with a worm in its mouth going home to its family….She lost everyone she cared about and the only thing that kept her going was her small family—her precious godson and her husband. It was for Teddy that she acted happy and gleeful. It was for Harry that she said everything was going to be okay even in the worst of times. And now was a pretty bad time.

She absent mildly took another sip of coffee before suddenly finding it sour and stale. Looking into the brown liquid, she noticed a piece of her blue mug floating at the surface. It seemed that not even her favorite cup could escape the universe's desire to destroy everything she loved.

Sighing deeply, she watched her coffee drain down the sink. Today was going to be another long day and it hadn't even started. It was barely seven o'clock and she was already late for her shift.

Addie quickly scribbled a note to Harry and slapped it on the kitchen door before closing it behind her.

**Harry, **

**At work. Left at 6:58am. Be back at 6:30pm. Weasleys coming over at 7. Start dinner, everything's in the fridge. Give Teddy a bath. **

**Love always, **

**Ad**

She felt bad for leaving Harry after his nightmare but it had happened before and he knew how to handle it. Nightmares and unexpected memories became a part of their daily routine. It was a part of their lives and there was nothing they could do to stop it.

The wind tossed her hair around as she stood in the closed doorway, facing the open village of Gordic's Hallow. Squinting in the sunlight, she could just make out the steeple of the church glistening in the distance. They lived a bit away from the rest of the town but it didn't bother her. It was close enough that they weren't excluded but far enough that they were given privacy which was something they both desperately needed. When it came time for them to settle down, both she and Harry were drawn to the village. It was quiet and relaxing after a hard day's work.

Taking once last breath of clean free air, she shut her eyes and apparated to an alley amidst a busy Muggle street in the center city. The alley was dark, cold, and grimy; just as it was every morning. The air here was stale, polluted, and heavy with grim. She stepped out onto the street and was instantly pushed by Muggles eager to get to work. The wind inside the street was cooler than it had been at her home. Hugging her arms around her and pulling her shirt closer, she trudged through the crowd to an abandoned red-brick warehouse.

After a few minutes of walking, the building came into view. The bricks were old, darkening, and failing in the corners, faded yellow letters printed on the side of the building read, "Purge and Dowse, Ltd." Above the boarded door, a rickety sign read "Closed for Refurbishment." There was a single wide-paned window, dusty and dark with cobweb and in that window, a decrepit dummy lounged in the far corner seemingly lifeless to the Muggle World.

She approached the shop, nodded to the dummy, and removed her identification card.

"Healer Adeline Potter, Emergency Ward, St. Mungos. Reporting for the 7am shift." She spoke quietly to the dummy who granted her entrance. Without a second's hesitation, she walked through the broken window and came out in small waiting area. As always, there were several rickety chairs filled with patients suffering from different aliments. Healers rushed in and out of the room, their bright robes nothing more than a blur as they shuffled through their waiting patients. She quickly glanced at her future patients before moving towards the welcoming desk. The usual grumpy Welcoming Witch, Melanie, was off on a long needed vacation and in her place sat a young preppy brunette. White block letters clearly spelled out HOLLY across the lime green robes of the St. Mungo's Staff.

"Excuse me." Addie rapped her knuckles along the desk catching Holly's attention. The girl brightened up immediately upon seeing Addie.

"Healer Potter! How are you today? It's beautiful today isn't it?" Of course the replacement would know her.

"Yes, wonderful." Addie passed Holly her ID card and clocked in. 7:04.

"You're 4 minutes late for the 7am shift." Holly brightly reminded her. "These are your patients for today." She slammed a pile of at least 15 clipboards on the counter. "Your first patient is Mr. James Capper."

Addie groaned and pulled the boards into her arms while Holly called for Mr. Capper from the waiting room. An old man stood up, steam pouring out his ears. His face was beat-red and sweet pooled on his brow. A dripping handkerchief was clutched in his hand. Her stomach rolled looking at the sweat pool on the floor beneath him.

As he stumbled to the counter, Holly gently pushed him in Addie's direction. "This is Healer Potter and she's going to heal you today."

"Potter?" the man's voice was squeaky as he pulled his collar away from his throat.

"Yes, Potter is my name." Addie shuffled through the stack of clipboards looking for "Capper, James" with no such luck.

"Holly, where is—.." A clipboard reading, "Capper, James" was suddenly thrust under her nose. Annoyance rising up quickly, Addie snatched the clipboard from Holly's smiling face.

"Any chance you're related to—.." the squeaky voice made the man even more unbearable.

"Follow me." Addie said in obvious fake kindness before the man could finish the question.

It was going to be a long day……

14 patients and one nightmare later, the day was finally coming to an end. The sky was darkening and Addie was eager to get home. Despite her exhaustion, the Weasley's were coming over for dinner and she was excited to see her friends. Just one patient left and she was free. From down the hall, she heard Holly's chipper voice call for Mrs. Codwell.

Addie hated having to go into the waiting room to get her patients. The majority of people recognized her too easily which quickly annoyed both her and her fellow staff. After her first week of being a healer, she requested that her patients be set up in the emergency beds before she reached them. And if no one was screaming, she was able to take her time getting to Mrs. Codwell. While chewing her gum and dodging the running healers, Addie finally came to her area. She generally treated all her patients in the same area, almost as though it were her office.

She glanced down at her last clipboard of the day. Her patient was not Mrs. Codwell but rather her son.

Addie stood just outside the curtain surrounding the bed, reviewing the notes and personal information taken by Holly. He was a young boy of 5, Nathan Codwell, suffering from muscle and stomach ache with a fever. She flipped the clipboard papers down with a snap of her wrist. Addie was about to push aside the curtain when someone spoke up. She didn't like prying on her patients but they often revealed the true cause of their problems when they thought that no one was listening. Leaning in, she heard the young boy's voice, shaky and loaded with tears.

"Mommy, I'm scared." He sniffled. She couldn't see the family but she imagined the mother leaning over and stroking his hair.

"It's okay, baby. Your healer is excellent and she's going to fix you up." The mother's voice was confident and soothing.

"But…but.."

"Sweetie, do you know who your healer is?"

"Healer Potter." His voice cracked a bit.

"That's right but do you know who she is?" It wasn't a question of knowing Addie's identity rather than her accomplishments and it was one she heard too often for her liking.

There was no answer from the boy's side so the mother continued. "Your healer, Healer Potter, she saved everyone from the bad men. If she can save the world, she can save you"

Addie dimly felt her nerves being eaten away by her annoyance. The boy obviously didn't understand because the mother elaborated.

"You remember when Daddy told you those bedtime stories of the four friends who saved us all?"

From behind the fabric barrier, Addie heard a small intake of breath and imaged the boy's eyes widening.

"Healer Potter is Harry Potter?" If Addie hadn't been so annoyed, she would have laughed.

"No, sweetheart, Healer Potter is Harry Potter's wife. Adeline Black. You remember all she did right? You always love hearing stories about her." There was a rustling of sheets as the boy shifted. Not wanting to listen to anymore hero-worship, Addie took it as her cue to walk in.

She pushed aside the curtain and strolled in, pretending to still be interested in the boy's information attached to her clipboard.

"Good morning Mr. Codwell." She said as she looked up and plastered a smile to her face for the boy's sake. The boy in question was staring at her with a mixture of shock and awe. He had short cropped blonde hair and big brown eyes, a simple and innocent face.

"How are you feeling today?" Walking closer, she let the clipboard hang from the end of the bed while she moved to check the boy's pulse. He watched her with every step but didn't answer.

"Hm?" She easily counted the beats before looking to the mother for an answer. The mother was an attractive woman with long blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Even sitting down, it was painfully obvious that she was taller than Addie. The woman was staring too but Addie ignored it and turned her head slightly to the side

"Nathan, tell the healer how you feel." The little boy nodded and told Addie all about his pain. He'd thrown up once or twice and was always tired but it was getting worse.

Addie took mental notes. "And when did this start?"

"Um…" the boy stammered trying to come up with a date. The mother quickly took over.

"About two days ago." Addie leaned over the boy and pressed her hand to his forehead. He tensed at her touch but quickly relaxed.

"Have you had any throat pains or a headache?" Nathan nodded and pulled at the sheets as Addie pulled her hand away, returning to the clipboard.

"Do you know if it's a severe problem? Is it treatable?" Had she not been in present company, she surely would have rolled her eyes. Mothers were so overbearing. A small pang hit Addie's heart when she remembered that her observation was not based on personal experience.

She took a calming breath and suppressed her feelings to be dealt with later.

"Mrs. Codwell, your son is suffering from nothing more than the common flu. Give him some Motrin and put him to bed. It should pass in a few days to a week. If it lasts longer than 2 weeks, come back." She recorded her recommendations, scrawled her signature across the bottom of the page and roughly tore it from the clipboard. She passed the note to the mother and smiled at the boy,

"Have a nice day."

She was just about to turn to leave when she felt a small hand slip into her own. The boy was holding onto her. Addie hung her head. This had happened before. Her patients, especially the young ones, always had questions for her about her past. What really happened? Did you really do everything they say? What was it like? Now was no different. The boy looked to her with his big brown eyes and he had her attention despite her annoyance and fatigue.

"Healer Potter?"

"Yes, Nathan?"

"Did you really do everything Daddy told me?"

"I don't know what your parents have told you but they seem to be honest people so I'm sure it's true." She knew that if she stayed for another minute, he would make her recount her adventures. Before she could move away, he gently removed his hand and looked at his lap. It was only her sudden surprise that kept her from leaving.

"Thank you." It was said so quietly that she almost missed it.

"For what?"

"For saving me and Mommy and Daddy." It was difficult to keep the shock off her face. This was new. No one had ever thanked her for doing what she did. It was always a simple good job or the hero-worship but never a thank you. She smiled a bit and placed a hand on his head. "It was my pleasure. I'd do it all again."

Puzzlement clouded his features. "What's wrong, sweetie?" the mother questioned.

"You would do it all again?" He asked Addie. It always amazed her how insightful children were. They deserved more credit than they were given though his questions made her reconsider her words. Would she really do it all over again? The war had cost her everything and yet, those were the best years of her life. The war shaped her and while it hurt her to say it, without the war in her life, she was…well…. bored. It was her job to save people on a daily basis but she missed the excitement and the adrenaline of doing so, the constant planning and secret meetings, the smuggling and battles. It was the only way of life she knew. Through the war, she became closer to Harry and her friends. The war gave her the strength and wisdom to deal with the messes of her life; it taught her to always be on her feet and always be alert. However, with the war over, there was no longer any reason to be on constant alert. The Death Eaters were almost powerless. There were attacks and rebellions but nothing in comparison to before. But now that she and Harry were trying to make a normal life, a life they always wanted, they both knew it was too late. It was too late for them to settle down. They couldn't handle the same routine from day to day when they had just spent the year before in constant motion. They were awkwardly going through the steps of life, knowing that they would never fit it. Without the war in their lives, they were lost…

She smiled at the boy. "In a heartbeat."

With that, she walked out, more eager than ever to go home to savior of the world.

_Hey guys, _

_I know this is short and isn't anything except background. I don't know what to make of this chapter. I don't think I like it but I don't know how to fix it. So I hope at least someone liked it. Thanks for reading. _

_-VicKami_


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